The invention relates to a switching device arranged to control the movement of postal items into one or other of two alternative directions, comprising a switch tongue, which is capable of pivoting between two fixed stops, and electromagnetic driving means.
Such switching devices are generally known. It is usual to drive switching devices by means of one or two electro-magnets. The increasing handling speed of postal items requires very rapid switching devices, which, however, exhibit bouncing of the switch tongue as soon as a stop is reached. The switch tongue, thus leaving its outermost position again, may block the flow of postal items.
Another problem consists in designing the switch drive such that in the two directions the change-over times of the switch are equal. That is why the minimum space between postal items always has to be adjusted to the longest change-over time.